ÖBB-Technische Services has awarded Slovakian company ŽOS Trnava a two-year wagon repair contract worth almost €20m, with a €30m option for a further three years.
Railinc’s TransmetriQ business unit has launched Rail Management System, which combines customised, accurate and near-real-time data with functionality such as electronic billing. ‘We designed RMS to give rail shippers a one-stop shop to manage and analyse their rail operations’, said Mika Majapuro, Vice-President of Product Management & Strategy. ‘RMS will soon include rate and route optimisation tools, a fleet management module, and further applications that heavily leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning.’
On April 6 TX Logistik began operating two round trips per week for Samskip Multimodal between Duisburg and the GDL terminal in Katrineholm, 150 km southwest of Stockholm. The 700 m train can carry up to 42 swap bodies, semi-trailers and containers of industrial and consumer goods.
Australia’s Freight on Rail Group has set out its priorities ahead of the federal elections on May 21: prioritise rail infrastructure resilience; deliver the Inland Rail project; provide a level playing field for rail and road with equivalent policies for infrastructure pricing; to utilise rail freight to reduce transport sector greenhouse gas emissions; recognise investments in land transport operations and provide for efficient utilisation where available; focus on improving the productivity of rail freight; and to recognise the external impacts of transport modes.
On April 4 ČD Cargo Adria received the necessary permissions to operate freight trains in Croatia; the ČD Cargo sbsidiary said it expcted to begin operating ‘in a matter of weeks‘.
The first dedicated rail freight service from Chengdu (Shuangliu) Air-Rail International Intermodal Port in China to Hanoi in Vietnam set off on April 18, carrying 40 containers of aluminium profiles valued at 32m yuan. Rail transport is expected to reduce transport costs by 20% and delivery times by 30% compared to road.
The Port Authority of Corpus Christi has awarded Watco’s Texas Coastal Bend Railroad subsidiary a 10-year contract to operate the 100 km short line serving the docks. PACC Chief Operating Officer Clark Robertson said the selection process ‘received great reception from outstanding short line companies, and we want to thank our consultants at Bluejay Advisors for their assistance in bringing the effort to conclusion’.
ÖBB Rail Cargo Group has increased its TransFER wagonload service linking Linz with Antwerpen, Zeebrugge and Gent to six round trips per week, reflecting growing demand in the steel, chemical, mineral oil, paper and building materials sectors. The Linz – Rheinkamp – Malmö route has been increased to three round trips per week.